No
date of origin for this document has been confirmed by historians, although it
is believed to be at least a thousand years old. Both the Charter of the United Nations and
the Constitution of the United
States of America are founded on the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Great Law of
Peace.

The Constitution of
the Six Nations Confederacy

I am Tekanawita.

1
With the statesmen of the League of Five
Nations, I plant the Tree of Great Peace. I plant it in your territory,
Atotarho, and the Onondaga Nation: in the territory of you who are Fire keepers. The name the tree Tsioneratasekowa, the
Great White Pine.

Under the shade of this Tree of Great Peace,
we spread the soft, white, feathery down of the Globe Thistle as seats for you,
Atotarho, and your cousin statesmen, we place you upon those seats, spread soft with the feathery down of the Globe Thistle,
there beneath the shade of the spreading branches of the Tree of Great Peace. There
shall you sit and watch the Fire of the League of Five Nations. All the affairs of the League
shall be transacted at this place before you, Atotarho and your cousin statesmen, by the
statesmen of the League of Five Nations.

2
Roots have spread out from the Tree of Great Peace, one to the north, one to the east, one to the south,
and one to the west. These are the Great White Roots, And their nature is Peace and Strength.
If a man or any nation outside the Five Nations shall obey
the laws of the Great Peace (Kaianarekowa), and shall make this know to the statesmen
of the League, they may trace back the roots to the Tree. If
their minds are clean, and if they are obedient and promise to obey the wishes
of the Council of the League, they shall be welcomed to take shelter beneath the
Tree of the Long Leaves.

We place at the top of the Tree of Great Peace
an eagle, who is able to see afar. If he sees in the distance any danger threatening, he will at
once warn the people of the League.

3
To you, Atotarho and the Onondaga statesmen, I and the other statesmen of the League have
entrusted the caretaking and watching of the Five Nations Council Fire.

When there is any business to be transacted and the Council
of the League is not in session, a messenger shall be sent either to Atotarho,
Hononwirehton, or Skanawate, firekeepers, or to their War Chiefs, with a full
statement of the business to be considered. Then Atotarho shall call his
cousin chiefs together and consider whether the business is of sufficient
importance to call the attention of the Council of the League. If so,
Atotarho shall send messengers to summon all the chiefs of the League and to
assemble beneath the Tree of the Great Peace.

When the statesmen are assembled, the Council fire shall be
kindled, but not with chestnut wood, and Atotarho shall formally open the
Council. Then shall Atotarho and his cousin statesmen, the Firekeepers,
announce the subject for discussion.

The smoke of the Council Fire of the League shall ever ascend
and pierce the sky so that other nations who may be allies may see the Council
Fire of The Great Peace.

4
You, Atotarho and your thirteen cousin statesmen shall faithfully keep the space about the
Council Fire clean, and you shall allow neither dust nor dirt to accumulate. I lay a long seagull wing
(Tsiowatstekawe Onerahontsha) before you as a broom. As a weapon against a crawling creature, I lay
a stick with you so that you may thrust it away from the Council Fire. If you fail to cast it
out, then call all the rest of the united statesmen to your aid.

5
The Council of the Mohawks shall be divided into three parties: Tehanakarine, Ostawenserentha and Soskoharowane are the
first. Tekarihoken, Ayonwatha and Satekariwate are the second.
Sarenhowane, Teyonhekwen and Orenrekowa are the third. The first party is to listen only to the discussion of the
second and third parties and if an error is made, or the proceeding irregular,
they are to call attention to it and when the case is right and properly decided
by the two parties, they shall confirm the decision of the two parties and refer
the case to the Seneca statesmen for their decision. When the Seneca
statesmen have decided, in accord with the Mohawk statesmen, the case or
question shall be referred to the Cayuga and Oneida statesmen on the opposite
side of the house.

6
I, Tekanawita, appoint the Mohawk statesmen the head and the
Leaders of the Five Nations League. The Mohawk statesmen are the
foundation of the Great Peace, and it shall therefore be against the Great
Binding Law to pass measures in the Council of the League after the Mohawk
statesmen have protested against them. No Council of the League shall be legal unless all of the
statesmen of the Mohawks are present.

7
Whenever the statesmen of the League shall assemble for the
purpose of holding a council, the Onondaga statesmen shall open it by expressing
their gratitude to their cousin statesmen, and greeting them, and they shall
make an address and offer thanks to the earth where men dwell, to the streams of
water, the pools and the lakes, to the maize and the fruits, to the medicinal
herbs and trees, to the forest trees for their usefulness, and to the animals
that serve as food and give their pelts for clothing, to the great winds and the
lesser winds, to the Thunderers; to the Sun, the mighty warrior; to the moon, to
the messengers of the Creator who reveals his wishes, and to the Great Creator
who dwells in the heavens above who gives all the things useful to men, and who
is the source and the ruler of health and life. Then shall the Onondaga statesmen declare the Council open.
The Council shall not sit after darkness has set in.

8
The Firekeepers shall formally open and close all councils of
the statesmen of the League, they shall pass upon all matters deliberated upon
by the two sides, and render their decision.

Every Onondaga statesmen (or his deputy) must be present at
every Council of the League, and must agree with the majority without
unwarrantable dissent, so that a unanimous decision may be rendered.

If Atotarho or any of his cousin statesmen are absent from a
Council of the League, any other Firekeeper may open and close the Council, but
the Firekeepers present may not give any decisions, unless the matter is of
small importance.

9
All the business of the Five Nations League Council shall be
conducted by the two combined bodies of Confederate statesmen. First the
question shall be passed upon by the Mohawk and Seneca statesmen, then it shall
be discussed and passed by the Oneida and Cayuga statesmen. Their decision
shall then be referred to the Onondaga statesmen, the Firekeepers, for final
judgment.

The same process shall be followed when a question is brought
before the Council by an individual or a War Chief.

10
In all cases, the procedure must be as follows: when the
Mohawk and Seneca statesmen have unanimously agreed upon a question, they shall
report their decision to the Cayuga and Oneida statesmen, who shall deliberate
upon the question and report a unanimous decision to the Mohawk statesmen.
The Mohawk statesmen will then report the standing of the case to the
Firekeepers, who shall render a decision as they see fit in case of a
disagreement by the two bodies, or confirm the decisions of the two bodies if
they are identical. The Firekeepers shall then report their decision to
the Mohawk statesmen who shall announce it to the open Council.

11
If through any misunderstanding or obstinacy on the part of the
Firekeepers, they reach a decision at variance with that of the Two Sides, the
Two Sides shall reconsider the matter and if their decisions are jointly the
same as before, they shall report to the Firekeepers, who are then compelled to
confirm their joint decision.

12
When a case comes before the Onondaga statesmen, the Firekeepers,
for discussion and decision, Atotarho shall introduce the matter to his comrade
statesmen, who shall then discuss it in their two bodies. Every Onondaga
statesmen except Hononwireton shall deliberate and he shall listen only.
When a unanimous decision shall have been reached by the two bodies of
Firekeepers, Atotarho shall notify Honowireton of the fact, then he shall
confirm it. He shall refuse to confirm a decision if it is not unanimously
agreed upon by both sides of the Firekeepers.

13
No chief shall ask a question of the body of chiefs of the
League when they are discussing a case, question, or proposition. He may
only deliberate in a low tone with the separate body of which he is a member.

14
When the Council of the Five Nation chiefs shall convene, they
shall appoint a speaker for the day. He shall be a chief of either the
Mohawk, Onondaga, or Seneca.

The next day, the Council shall appoint another, but the
first speaker may be reappointed if there is no objection, but a speakerís
term shall not be regarded more than for the day.

15
No individual or foreign nation interested in a case, question,
or proposition shall have any voice in the Council of the League except to
answer a question put to him or them by the speaker for the chiefs.

16
If the conditions which shall arise at any future time call for
an addition to or change of this law, the case shall be carefully considered and
if a new beam seems necessary or beneficial, the proposed change shall be
decided upon, and if adopted, shall be called, "Added to the Rafters".

17
A bunch of certain shell (wampum) string each two spans in
length shall be given to each of the female families in which the chieftain
titles are vested. The right of bestowing the titles shall be hereditary
in the family of females legally possessing the bunch of shell strings, and the
strings shall be the token that the females of the family have the ownership to
the chieftainship title for all time to come, subject to certain restrictions
mentioned here.

18
If any chief of the League neglects or refuses to attend the
Council of the League, the other chiefs of the nation of which he is a member
shall require their War Chief to request the female sponsors of the chief so
guilty of neglecting his duties to demand his attendance at the Council.
If he refuses, the women holding the title shall immediately select another
candidate for the title.

No chief shall be asked more than once to attend the Council
of the League.

19
If at any time it shall be apparent that a chief of the League
has not in mind the welfare of the people, or disobeys the rules of the Great
Law, the men or the women of the League, or both jointly, shall come to the
Council and scold the erring chief through his war chief. If the complaint
of the people through the war chief is not heeded, on the first occasion, it
shall be uttered again, and then if no attention is given, a third complaint and
a warning shall be given. If the chief is still disobedient, the matter
shall go to the Council of War Chiefs. The War Chiefs shall then take away
the title of the erring chief by order of the women shall notify the chiefs of
the League through their war chief and the chiefs of the League shall sanction
the act. The women will then select another of their sons as a candidate
and the chiefs shall elect him. Then the chosen one shall be installed by
the Installation Ceremony.

When a chief is deposed, his war chief shall address him as
follows:

"So you,............, disregard and set at naught the
warnings of your women relatives. You fling the warnings over your shoulder
to cast them behind. Behold the brightness of the Sun, and in the brightness of the
Sunís light, I depose you of your title and remove the sacred emblem of your
chieftainship title. I remove from your brow the deerís antlers which was the emblem
of your position and token of your nobility. I now depose you, and return
the antlers to the women whose heritage they are."

The war chief shall now address the women of the deposed
chief and say:

"Mothers, as I have deposed your chief, I now return
to you the emblem and the title of chieftainship; therefore, repossess them."

Again addressing the deposed chief, he shall say:

"As I have deposed and discharged you so you are no
longer chief. You shall go
your way alone. The rest of the people of the League
shall not go with you, for
we know not the kind of mind you possess. As the
Creator has nothing to do with wrong, so he will not come to rescue you from the
precipice of destruction in which you have cast yourself. You shall never be
restored to the position which you once occupied."

Then shall the war chief address himself to the chiefs of the
nation to which the deposed chief belongs and say:

"Know you, my chiefs, that I have taken the deerís
antlers from the brow of .......,
the emblem of his position, and the token of his
greatness."

The chiefs of the League shall have no other alternative than
accept to sanction the discharge of the offending chief.

20
If a chief of the League of Five Nations should commit murder
the other chiefs of the nation shall assemble at the place where the corpse lies
and prepare to depose the criminal chief. If it is impossible to meet at
the scene of the crime the chiefs shall discuss the matter at the next Council
of their nation and request their war chief to depose the chief guilty of the
crime, to "bury his women relatives and to transfer the chieftainship title
to a sister family.

The war chief shall address the chief guilty of murder and
say:

"So you, ..........., did kill............, with your
own hands! You have committed a
grave crime in the eyes of the Creator. Behold the
bright light of the Sun, and in
the brightness of the Sunís light, I depose you of your
title and remove the horns,
the sacred emblem of your chieftainship title. I
remove from your brow the
deerís antlers which was the emblem of your position and
token of your nobility.
I now depose you and expel you and you shall depart at
once from the territory of the League of Five Nations and nevermore return again.
We, the League of Five Nations, moreover, bury your women relatives because the
ancient chieftainship title was never intended to have any union with bloodshed.
Henceforth, it shall not be their heritage. By the evil deed that you
have done they have forfeited it forever."

The war chief shall then hand the title to a sister family,
and he shall address it and say:

"Our mothers,..............listen attentively while I
address you a solemn and
important subject. I hereby transfer to you an
ancient chieftainship title for a
great calamity has befallen it in the hands of the family
of a former chief. We
trust that you, our mothers, will always guard it and that
you will warn your chief
always to be dutiful and to advise his people to ever live
in love, peace and
harmony that a great calamity may never happen
again."

21
Certain physical defects in a statesman of the League makes him
ineligible to sit in the League Council. Such defects are infancy, idiocy,
blindness, deafness, dumbness and impotency. When a statesman of the
League is restricted by any of these conditions, a deputy shall be appointed by
his sponsors to act for him, but in cases of extreme necessity, the restricted
statesman may exercise his rights.

22
If a statesman of the League desires to resign his title, he
shall notify the statesman of the nation of which he is a member of his
intentions. If his co-active statesmen refuse to accept his resignation,
he may not resign his title. A statesman in proposing to resign may recommend any proper
candidate which recommendation shall be received by the statesmen but unless
confirmed and nominated by the women who hold the title, the candidate shall not
be considered.

23
Any chief of the League of Five Nations may construct shell
strings or wampum belts of any size or length as pledges or records of matters
of national or international importance.

When it is necessary to dispatch a shell string by a war
chief or other messenger as a token of a summons, the messenger shall recite the
contents of the string to the party to whom it is sent. That party shall
repeat the message and return the shell string, and if there has been a summons,
he shall make ready for his journey.

Any of the people of the Five Nations may use shells or
wampum as the record of a pledge, contract, or an agreement entered into and the
same shall be binding as soon as shell strings shall have been exchanged by both
parties.

24
The chiefs of the League of Five Nations shall be mentors of the
people for all time. The thickness of their skin shall be seven spans (tsiataniioronkarake),
which is to say that they shall be proof against anger, offensive action, and
criticism. Their hearts shall be full of peace and good will, and their
minds filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people of the League.
With endless patience, they shall carry out their duty. Their firmness
shall be tempered with a tenderness for their people. Neither anger nor
fury shall find lodging in their minds and all their words and actions shall be
marked by calm deliberation.

25
If a chief of the League should seek to establish any authority
independent of the jurisdiction of the League of the Great Peace, which is the
Five Nations, he shall be warned three times in open Council, first by the women
relatives, second by the men relatives, and finally by the chiefs of the Nation
to which he belongs.

If the offending chief is still persistent, he shall be
dismissed by the war chief of his nation for refusing to conform to the laws of
the Great Peace. His Nation shall then install the candidate nominated by
the female name holders of his family.

26
It shall be the duty of all the chiefs of the League of Five
Nations, from time to time as occasion demands, to act as teachers and spiritual
guides of their people, and remind them of their Creatorís will and words.
They shall say:

"Listen, that peace may continue unto future days!
"Always listen to the words of the Great Creator, for
he has spoken. "United People, let not evil find lodging in your
minds. "For the Great Creator has spoken and the Cause of
Peace shall not become old. "The cause of peace shall not die if you remember the
Great Creator."

27
All chiefs of the League of Five Nations must be honest in all
things. They must not idle nor gossip, but be men possessing those
honorable qualities that make true leaders. It shall be a serious wrong
for anyone to lead a chief into trivial affairs, for the people must ever hold
their chiefs high in estimation out of respect to their honorable positions.

28
When a candidate chief is to be installed, he shall furnish four
strings of shells or wampum one span in length bound together at one end.
Such will constitute the evidence of his pledge to the chiefs of the League that
he will live according to the Constitution of the Great Peace and exercise
justice in all affairs.

When the pledge is furnished, the Speaker of the Council must
hold the shell strings in his hand and address the opposite side of the Council
Fire, and he shall begin his address saying:

"Now behold him. He has now become a chief of
the League. See how splendid he looks."

An address may then follow. At the end of it he shall
send the bunch of shell strings to the opposite side, and they shall be received
as evidence of the pledge. Then shall the opposite side say:

"We now do crown you with the sacred emblem of the
deerís antlers, the emblem of your chieftainship. You shall now become a mentor
of the people of the Five Nations. The thickness of your skin shall be seven
spans, which is to say that you shall be proof against anger, offensive actions, and
criticism. Your heart shall be filled with peace and good will. Your mind shall be
filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people of the League. With endless
patience you shall carry out your duty and your firmness shall be tempered with
tenderness for your people. Neither anger nor fury shall find lodging in your mind.
All your words and actions shall be marked with calm deliberation. In
all your deliberations in the Council of the League, in your efforts at law-making, in
all your official acts, self-interest shall be cast away. Do not cast over your
shoulder behind you the warnings of your nephews and nieces should they chide you
for any error or wrong you may do, but return to the way of the Great Law
which is right and just. Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people, and
have always in view not only the present, but also the coming generations, even
those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground--the unborn of the
future Nation."

29
When a chieftainship title is to be conferred, the candidate
chief shall furnish the cooked venison, the corn bread and the corn soup,
together with other necessary things and the labor for the Conferring of Titles
Festival.

30
The chiefs of the League may confer the chieftainship title upon
a candidate whenever the Great Law is recited, if there is a candidate, for the
Great Law speaks all the rules.

31
If a chief of the League should become seriously ill and be
thought near death, the women who are heirs of his title shall go to his house
and lift his crown of deer antlers, the emblem of his chieftainship, and place
them at one side. If the Creator spares him and he rises from his bed of
sickness, he may rise with the antlers on his brow.

The following words shall be used to temporarily remove the
antlers:

"Now our comrade chief, the time has come when we
must approach you in your
illness. We remove for a time the deerís antlers
from your brow. We remove the emblem of your chieftainship title. The Great Law
has decreed that no chief
should end his life with the antlers on his brow. We
therefore lay them aside in
the room. If the Creator spares you and you recover
from your illness you shall
rise from your bed with the antlers on your brow as before
and you shall resume your duties as chief of the League and you may again labor
for the people of the League."

32
If a chief of the League should die while the Council of the
Five Nations is in session, the Council shall adjourn for ten days. No
Council of the League shall sit within ten days of the death of a chief of the
League.

If the Three Brothers (ahsennihontatekenah) (the Mohawk, the
Onondaga, and the Seneca) should lose one of their chiefs by death, the Younger
Brothers (iatatekanah) (the Cayuga and the Oneida) shall come to the surviving
chiefs of the Three Brothers on the tenth day and console them. If the
Younger Brothers lose one of their chiefs, then the Three Brothers shall come to
them and console them. And the consolation shall be the reading of the
contents of the thirteenth shell (wampum) strings of Ayonwatha. At the
termination of this rite, a successor shall be appointed, to be appointed by the
women heirs of the Chieftainship title. If the women are not ready to
place their nominee before the chiefs, the Speaker shall say, "Come let us
go out." All shall then leave the Council or place of gathering.
The Speaker shall lead the way from the house by saying, "Let us depart to
the edge of the woods and lie in wait on our bellies."
(Tenshakonatioswentarhese).

When the women title holders shall have chosen one of their
sons, the chiefs of the League will assemble in two places, the Younger Brothers
in one place and the Three Older Brothers in another. The chiefs who are
to console the mourning chiefs shall chose one of their number to sing the Song
of Peace as they journey to the sorrowing chiefs. The singer shall lead
the way, and the chiefs and the people shall follow. When they reach the
sorrowing chiefs, they shall hail the candidate chief and perform the rite of
Conferring the Chieftainship title. (Ohkeiontentshera).

33
When a chief of the League dies, the surviving relatives shall
immediately dispatch a messenger, a member of another clan, to the chiefs in
another locality. When the runner comes within hailing distance of the
locality, he shall utter a sad wail, thusly: "Kwa-ah! Kwa-ah!"
The sound shall be repeated three times, and then again and again at intervals
as many times as the distance may require. When the runner arrives at the
settlement, the people shall assemble and one must ask him the nature of his sad
message. He shall then say, "Let us consider." (rakwennikonriak).
Then he shall tell them of the death of the chief. He shall deliver to
them a string of shells or wampum and say, "Here is the testimony, you have
heard the message." He may return home.

It now becomes the duty of the chiefs of the locality to send
runners to other localities and each locality shall send messengers until all
chiefs are notified. Runners shall travel day and night.

34
If a chief dies and there is no candidate qualified for the
office in the family of the women title holders, the chiefs of the Nation shall
give the title into the hands of a sister family (Kentennonteron) in the clan
until such time as the original family produces a candidate, when the title
shall be restored to the rightful owners.

No chieftainship title may be carried into the grave.
The chiefs of the League may dispossess a dead chief of his title even at the
grave.

35
Should any man of the Nation assist with special ability or show
great interest in the affairs of the Nation, if he proves himself wise and
honest and worthy of confidence, the chiefs of the League may elect him to a
seat among them, and he may sit in the Council of the League. He shall be
proclaimed a Pine Tree, sprung up for the Nation, and be installed as such at
the next assembly for the installation of chiefs. Should he ever do
anything contrary to the rules of the Great Peace, he may not be deposed from
office--no one shall cut him down--but thereafter everyone shall be deaf to his
voice and his advice. Should he resign from his seat and title, no one
shall prevent him. A Pine Tree Chief has no authority to name a successor
nor is his title hereditary.

The women heirs of each head chiefís title shall be the
heirs of the war chiefs title of their respective chief. The war chiefs shall be selected from the eligible sons of
the female families holding the head chieftainship title.

37
There shall be one war chief from each nation, and their duties
shall be to carry messages for their chiefs, and to take up arms in case of
emergency. They shall not participate in the proceedings of the Council of
the League, but shall watch its progress and in case of an erroneous action by a
chief, they shall receive the complaints of the people and convey the warnings
of the women to him. The people who wish to convey messages to the chiefs
of the League shall do so through the war chief of their nation. It shall
always be his duty to lay the cases, questions, and propositions of the people
before the council of the League.

38
When a war chief dies, another shall be installed by the same
rite as that by which a chief is installed.

39
If a war chief acts contrary to instructions, or against the
provisions of the Laws of the Great Peace, doing so in the capacity of his
office, he shall be deposed by his women relatives and by his men relatives.
Either the women or the men alone or jointly may act in such a case. The
women title holders shall then choose another candidate.

40
When the chiefs of the League take occasion to dispatch a
messenger in behalf of the Council of the League, they shall wrap up any matter
they may send, and instruct the messenger to remember his errand, to turn not
aside, but to proceed faithfully to his destination and deliver his message
according to every instruction.

41
If a message borne by a runner is the warning of an invasion, he
shall whoop, "Kwa-ah, Kwa-ah!" twice and repeat at short intervals,
then again at a longer interval.

If a human is found dead, the finder shall not touch the
body, but return home immediately shouting at short intervals, "Koo-weh!"

42
Among the Five Nations and their descendants there shall be the
following Clans: Great Name Bearer, Ancient Name Bearer, Great Bear,
Ancient Bear, Turtle, Painted Turtle, Standing Rock, Large Plover, Little Plover
(or Snipe), Deer Pigeon, Hawk, Eel, Ball, "Opposite Side of the Hand"
and Wild Potatoes. These clans distributed through their respective
nations shall be the sole owners and holders of the soil of the country and in
them is vested, as a birthright.

43
People of the Five Nations who are members of a certain clan
shall recognize every member of the Clan, no matter what Nation, as relatives.
Men and women, therefore, who are member of the same Clan are forbidden to
marry.

44
The lineal descent of the people of the Five Nations shall run
in the female line. Women shall be considered the progenitors of the
Nation. They shall own the land, and the soil. Men and women shall
follow the status of their mothers.

45
The women heirs of the chieftainship titles of the League shall
be called Oianer or Otiianer (Noble) for all time to come.

46
The Women of the 48 (now 50) noble families shall be the heirs
of the Authorized Names for all time to come.

When an infant of the Five Names is given an Authorized Name
at the Midwinter Festival or at the Green Corn and Strawberry and Harvest
Festival, one in the cousinhood of which the infant is a member shall be
appointed a speaker. He shall then announce to the opposite cousinhood the
names of the father and mother of the child, together with the clan of the
mother. Then the speaker shall announce the childís name twice.
The uncle of the child shall then take the child in his arms and walking up and
down the room shall sing, "My head is firm; I am of the League."
As he sings the opposite cousinhood shall respond by chanting, "Hyen, Hyen,
Hyen, Hyen" until the song is ended.

47
If the female heirs of a title of a chief of the League become
extinct, the title shall be given by the chiefs of the League to a sister family
whom they shall elect, and that family shall hold the name and transmit it to
their female heirs, but they shall not appoint any of their sons as a candidate
for a title until all the eligible men of the former family shall have died, or
otherwise have become ineligible.

48
If all the heirs of a chieftainship become extinct, and so all
the families in the Clan, then the title shall be given by the chiefs of the
League to a family of a sister Clan whom they shall elect.

49
If any of the Otiianer women, heirs of a titleship, shall
willfully withhold a chieftainship or other title and refuse to bestow it, or if
such heirs abandon, forsake, or despise their heritage, then shall such women be
deemed buried, and their family extinct. The titleship shall then revert
to sister family, or Clan, upon application and complaint. The chiefs of
the League shall elect the family or Clan which shall in future hold the title.

50
The Otiianer women of the League heirs of the chieftainship
titles shall elect two women of their family as cooks for the chief when the
people shall assemble at his house for business or other purposes.

It is not good nor honorable for a chief of the League to
allow his people whom he has called to go hungry.

51
When a chief holds a conference in his home, his wife, if she
wishes, may prepare the food for the union chiefs who assemble with him.
This is an honorable right which she may exercise, and an expression of her
esteem.

52
The Otiianer women, heirs of the chieftainship titles, shall,
should it be necessary, correct and admonish the holders of the titles.
Those only who attend the Council may do this, and those who do not shall not
object to what has been said nor strive to undo the action.

53
When the Otiianer women, holders of a chieftainship title,
select one of their sons as a candidate, they shall select one who is
trustworthy, of good character, of honest disposition, one who manages his own
affairs, and supports his own family, if any, and who has proven a faithful man
to his Nation.

54
When a chieftainship title becomes vacant through death or other
cause, the Otiianer women of the Clan in which the title is hereditary shall
hold a council, and shall choose one of their sons to fill the office made
vacant. Such a candidate shall not be the father of any chief of the
League. If the choice is unanimous, the name is referred to the men
relatives of the Clan. If they should disapprove, it shall be their duty
to select a candidate from among their own number. If then the men and
women are unable to decide which of the two candidates shall be named, then the
matter shall be referred to the chiefs of the League in the Clan. They
shall decide which candidate shall be named. If the men and women agree to
a candidate, then his name shall be referred to the sister clans for
confirmation. If the sister clans confirm the choice, they shall refer
their action to the chiefs of the League who shall ratify the choice and present
it to their cousin chiefs, and if the cousin chiefs confirm the name, then the
candidate shall be installed by the proper ceremony for the conferring of
chieftainship titles.

55
A large bunch of shell strings, in the making of which the Five
Nations League chiefs have equally contributed, shall symbolize the completeness
of the union, and certify the pledge of the Nations represented by the chiefs of
the League of the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, and the Seneca,
that all are united and formed into one body, or union, called the Union of the
Great Law which they have established.

A bunch of shell string is to be the symbol of the Council
Fire of the League of Five Nations. And the chief whom the Council of
Firekeepers shall appoint to speak for them in opening the Council shall hold
the strands of shells in his hands when speaking. When he finishes
speaking, he shall place the strings on an elevated place or pole so that all
the assembled chiefs and the people may see it and know that the Council is open
and in progress.

56
Five strings of shell tied together as one shall represent the
Five Nations. Each string shall represent one territory, and the whole a
completely united territory known as the Five Nations Territory.

57
Five arrows shall be bound together very strong and shall
represent one Nation each. As the five arrows are strongly bound, this
shall symbolize the complete union of the nations. Thus are the Five
Nations completely united and enfolded together, united into one head, one body,
and one mind. They therefore shall labor, legislate, and council together
for the interest of future generations.

The chiefs of the League shall eat together from one bowl the
feast of cooked beaverís tail. While they are eating, they are to use no
sharp utensils, for if they should, they might accidentally cut one another, and
bloodshed would follow. All measures must be taken to prevent the spilling
of blood in any way.

58
There are now the Five Nations League chiefs standing with
joined hands in a circle. This signifies and provides that should any
one of the chiefs of the League leave the Council and the League, his crown of
deerís antlers, the emblems of his chieftainship title, together with his
birthright, shall lodge on the arms of the union chiefs whose hands are so
joined. He forfeits his title, and the crown falls from his brow, but it
shall remain in the League.

A further meaning of this is that if any time any one of the
chiefs of the League choose to submit to the law of a foreign people, he is no
longer in but out of the League, and persons of this class shall be called
"They have alienated themselves." (Tehonatonkoton). Likewise,
such persons who submit to laws of foreign nations shall forfeit all birthrights
and claims on the League of Five Nations and territory.

You, the League of Five Nations chiefs, be firm so that if a
tree should fall upon your joined hands, it shall not separate you or weaken
your hold. So shall the strength of the union be preserved.

59
A bunch of wampum strings, three spans of the hand in length,
the upper half of the bunch being white and lower half black, and formed from
equal contributions of the men of the Five Nations, shall be the token that the
men have combined themselves into one head, one body, and one thought, and it
shall symbolized their ratification of the peace pact of the League, whereby the
chiefs of the Five Nations have established the Great Peace. The white
portion of the shell strings represent the women, and the black portion the men.
The black portion, furthermore, is a token of power and authority vested in the
men of the Five Nations.

This string of wampum vests the people with the right to
correct their erring Chiefs. In case a part of the chiefs or all of them
pursue a course not vouched for by the people and heed not the third warning of
their women relatives (Wasenensawenrate), then the matter shall be taken to the
General Council of the Women of the Five Nations. If the chiefs notified
and warned three times fail to heed, then the case falls into the hands of the
men of the Five Nations. The War Chiefs shall then, by right of such power
and authority, enter the open Council to warn the chief or chiefs to return from
the wrong course. If the chiefs heed the warning, they shall say, "We
shall reply tomorrow." If then an answer is returned in favor of
justice and in accord with this Great Law, then the Chiefs shall individually
pledge themselves again, by again furnishing the necessary shells for the
pledge. Then shall the War Chief or chiefs exhort the chiefs, urging them
to be just and true.

Should it happen that the chiefs refuse to heed the third
warning, then two courses are open: either the men may decide in their
council to depose the chief or chiefs, or to club them to death with war clubs.
Should they in their council decide to take the first course, the War Chief
shall address the chief or chiefs, saying,

"Since you the chiefs of the Five Nations have
refused to return to the procedure
of the Constitution, we now declare your seats vacant, and
we take off your horns, the token of your chieftainship, and others shall
be chosen and installed in your seats. Therefore, vacate your seats."

Should the men in their council adopt the second course, the
War Chief shall order his men to enter the council, to take positions beside the
errant chiefs sitting between them wherever possible. When this is
accomplished, the war chief holding in his outstretched hand a bunch of black
wampum strings shall say to the erring chiefs,

"So now, chiefs of the Five Nations,
hearken to these
last words from your men.
You have not heeded the warnings of the General Council of
Women, and you
have not heeded the warning of the Men of the Nations, all
urging you to the right
course of action. Since you are determined to resist
and to withhold justice from
your people, there is only one course for us to
adopt."

At this point, the War Chief shall drop the bunch of black
wampum, and the men shall spring to their feet and club the erring chiefs to
death. Any erring chief may become submissive before the War Chief lets
fall the Black Wampum. Then his execution is withheld.

The Black Wampum here used symbolizes that the
power to
execute is buried, but it may be raised up again by the men. It is buried,
but when the occasion arises, they may pull it up and derive their power and
authority to act as here described.

60
A broad belt of wampum of thirty-eight rows, having a white
heart in the center, on either side of which are two white squares all connected
with the heart by white rows of beads shall be the emblem of unity of the Five
Nations.

The first of the squares on the left represents the Mohawk
Nation and its territory, the second square on the left and near the heart
represents the Oneida Nation and its territory, and the white heart in the
middle represents the Onondaga Nation and its territory. It also means
that the heart of the Five Nations is single in its loyalty to the Great Peace,
and that the Great Peace is lodged in the heart (meaning with Onondaga League
chiefs) and that the Council Fire is to burn there for the Five Nations.
Further it means that the authority is given to advance the cause of peace
whereby hostile nations out of the League shall cease warfare. The white
square to the right of the heart represents the Cayuga Nation and its territory
and the fourth and last square represents the Seneca Nation and its territory.

White here symbolizes that no evil nor jealous thought shall
creep into the minds of the chiefs while in Council under the Great Peace.
White, the emblem of peace, love, charity, and equity surrounds and guards the
Five Nations.

61
Should a great calamity threaten the generations rising and
living of the Five United Nations, then he who is able to climb to the top of
the Tree of the Great Long Leaves may do so. When he reaches the top of
the Tree, he shall look about it in all directions and should he see evil things
indeed approaching, then he shall call to the people of the Five United Nations
assembled beneath of the Tree of the Great Peace and say, "A Calamity
threatens your happiness."

Then shall the Chiefs convene in Council and discuss the
impending evil. When all the truths relating to the trouble shall be fully
known and found to be truths, then shall the people seek a Tree of Kahonkaahkona,
the great swamp elm tree, and when they shall find it they shall assemble their
heads together and lodge for a time between its roots. Then, their labors
being finished, they may hope for happiness for many days after.

62
When the League of the Five Nations Council declares for a
reading of the belts of shell calling to mind these laws, they shall provide for
the reader a specially made mat woven of the fibers of wild hemp. The mat
shall not be used again for such formality is called "honoring the
importance of the law."

63
Should two sons of opposite sides of the Council Fire (iatawa)
agree in a desire to hear the reciting of the laws of the Great Peace and so
refresh their memories in a way specified by the Founder of the League, they
shall notify Atotarho. He shall consult with five of his cousin chiefs and
they in turn shall consult their eight brethren. Then should they decide
to accede to the request of the two sons from the opposite sides of the Council
Fire, Atotarho shall send messengers to notify the chiefs of each of the Five
Nations. Then they shall dispatch their War Chief to notify their brother
and cousin chiefs of the meeting and its time and place.

When all have come and have assembled, Atotarho, in
conjunction with his cousin chiefs, shall appoint one chief who shall repeat the
laws of the Great Peace to the two sons. Then the chosen one shall repeat
the laws of the Great Peace.

64
At the ceremony of the installation of chiefs, if there is only
one expert speaker and singer of the Law and the Song of Peace to stand at the
Council Fire, then when this speaker and singer has finished addressing one side
of the Fire, he shall go to the opposite side and reply to his own speech and
song. He shall thus act for both sides of the Fire until the entire
ceremony has been completed. Such a speaker and singer shall be termed
"Two-facedí because he speaks and sings for both sides of the Fire.

65
I, Tekanawita, and the United Chiefs, now uproot the tallest
tree (skarenhesekowa) and into the hole thereby made we cast all weapons of war.
Into the depths of the earth, down into the deep underneath currents of water (Tionawatetsien)
flowing to unknown regions we cast all the weapons of strife. We bury them
from sight and we plant again the tree. Thus shall the Great Peace be
established and hostilities shall no longer be known between the Five Nations,
but peace to the United People.

66
The father of a child of great comeliness, ability or specially loved because of some circumstances may, at the will of the childís Clan,
select a name from his own (the fatherís) Clan and bestow it by ceremony, such
as is provided. This naming shall be only temporary, and shall be called,
"A name hung about the neck."

67
Should any person, a member of the League of Five Nations,
especially esteem a man or a woman of another Clan or of a foreign nation, he
may choose a name, bestow it upon that person so esteemed. The naming
shall be in accord with the ceremony of bestowing names. Such a name is
only temporary and shall be called, "A name hung about the neck."
A short string of shells shall be delivered with the name as a record and a
pledge.

68
Should any member of the Five Nations, a family, or a person
belonging to a foreign nation submit a proposal for adoption into a Clan of one
of the Five Nations, he or they shall furnish a string of shells, a span in
length, as a pledge to the Clan into which he or they wish to be adopted.
The Chiefs of the Nation shall then consider the proposal and submit a decision.

69
Any member of the Five Nations, who through esteem or other
feelings, wishes to adopt an individual, a family, or a number of families, may
offer adoption to him or them, and if accepted, the matter shall be brought to
the attention of the Chiefs for confirmation and the chiefs must confirm the
adoption.

70
When the adoption of anyone shall have been confirmed by the
chiefs of the Nation the chiefs shall address the people of the Nation and say:

"Now you of our Nation, be informed
that............(such a person, such a family, or such families) have ceased
forever to bear their birth nationís name and have buried
it in the depth of the earth. Henceforth let no one of our nation ever
mention the original name or nation of their birth. To do so will hasten
the end of our peace."

71
When a person or family belonging to the Five Nations desires to
abandon their Nation and the territory of the Five Nations they shall inform the
chiefs of their Nation and the Council of the League of Five Nations shall take
notice of it.

When any person or any of the people of the Five Nations
emigrate and reside in a distant region away from the territory of the League of
Five Nations, the chiefs of the Five Nations at will may send a messenger
carrying a broad belt of black shells and when the messenger arrives he shall
call the people together or address them personally, displaying the belt of
black shell and they shall know that this is an order for them to return to
their original homes and to their Council Fires.

72
The soil of the earth from one end to the other is the property
of the people who inhabit it. By birthright, the Onkwehonwe, the original
beings, are the owners of the soil which they own and occupy and none other may
hold it. The same law has been held from the oldest times.

73
The Great Creator has made us of one blood, and of the same soil
he made us, and as only different tongues constitute different nations, he
established different hunting grounds and territories and made boundary lines
between them.

74
When any alien nation or individual is admitted into the League
the admission shall be understood only to be a temporary one. Should the
person or nation create loss, do wrong, or cause suffering of any kind to
endanger the peace of the League, the League statesmen shall order one of their
War Chiefs to reprimand him or them. If a similar offense is committed,
the offending party or parties shall be expelled from the territory of the
League.

75
When a member of an alien nation comes to the territory of the
League and seeks refuge and permanent residence, the statesmen of the Nation to
which he comes shall extend hospitality and make him a member of the Nation.
Then shall he be accorded equal rights and privileges in all matters except as
mentioned here.

76
No body of alien people who have been adopted temporarily shall
have a vote in the Council of the chiefs of the League, for only they who have
been invested with chieftainship titles may vote in the Council. Aliens
have nothing by blood to make claim to a vote and should they have it, not
knowing all the traditions of the League, might go against the Great Peace.
In this manner, the Great Peace would be endangered and perhaps be destroyed.

77
When the chiefs of the League decide to admit a foreign nation
and an adoption is made, the chiefs shall inform the adopted nation that its
admission is only temporary. They shall also say to the nation that it
must never try to control, to interfere with or to injure the Five Nations, nor
disregard the Great Peace or any of its rules or customs. In no way should
they cause disturbance or injury. Then shall the adopted nation disregard
these injunctions, their adoption will be annulled and they will be expelled.

The expulsion shall be in the following manner: The
council shall appoint one of their War Chiefs to convey the message of annulment
and he shall say:

"You, .............. (naming the nation), listen to
me while I speak. I am here to
inform you again of the will of the Five Nations Council.
It was clearly made
known to you at a former time. Now the chiefs of the
Five Nations have decided
to expel you and cast you out. We disown you now and
annul your adoption.
Therefore you must look for a path in which to go and lead
away all your people.
It was you, not we, who committed wrong and caused this
sentence of annulment. So then go your way and depart from the territory of the
Five Nations and away from the League."

78
Whenever a foreign nation enters the League or accepts the Great
Peace, the Five Nations and the foreign nation shall enter into an agreement and
compact by which the foreign nation shall endeavor to persuade the other
nations to accept the Great Peace.

79
Skanawati shall be vested with a double office, duty and with
double authority. One half of his being shall hold the statesman title,
and the other half shall hold the title of War Chief. In the event of war
he shall notify the five War Chiefs of the League and command them to prepare
for war and have the men ready at the appointed time and place for engagement
with the enemy of the Great Peace.

80
When the council of the League has for its object the
establishment of the Great Peace among the people of an outside nation and that
nation refuses to accept the Great Peace, then by such refusal they bring a
declaration of war upon themselves from the Five Nations. Then shall the
Five Nations seek to establish the Great Peace by a conquest of the rebellious
nation.

81
When the men of the League, now called forth to become warriors,
are ready for battle with an obstinate opposing nation that has refused to
accept the Great Peace, then one of the five War Chiefs shall be chosen by the
warriors of the League to lead the army into battle. It shall be the duty
of the War Chief so chosen to come before his warriors and address them.
His aim shall be to impress upon them the necessity of good behavior and strict
obedience to the commands of the War Chiefs.

He shall deliver an oration exhorting them with great zeal to
be brave and courageous and never to be guilty of cowardice. At the
conclusion of his oration he shall march forward and commence a War Song, and he
shall sing:

Onenhonkenenrenne Now I am greatly
surprisedNekati enkatieratakwe And therefore I shall
use it,Tsiniwakerennotenne The power of my War
Song.Wiskniwakonwentsiake I am of the Five Nations,Ehtokatiienker ihwaneke And I shall make an
appealRaonhane Rohshatstenserewane To the Might Creator.Nerakwawi, nekati neakitiokwa He has furnished this
army.Rotiskenrakete, nekati ese My warriors shall
be mighty in the strength of the
Creator.

Sashatstenserowane Between him and my
song they are,Tiokenshen, nishonne For it was he who
gave the song,Ne kati ne takwawi This war song that I
sing.Ne karenna enkaterennoten.

82
When the warriors of the Five Nations are one an expedition
against the enemy, the War Chief shall sing the War Song as he approaches the
country of the enemy and not cease until his scouts have reported that the army
is near the enemyís lines when the War Chief shall approach with great caution
and prepare for the attack.

83
When peace shall have been established by the termination of the
war against a foreign nation, then the War Chief shall cause all the weapons of
war to be taken from the nation. Then shall the Great Peace be established
and that nation shall observe all the rules of the Great Peace for all time to
come.

84
Whenever a foreign nation is conquered or has by their own will
accepted the Great Peace, their own system of internal government may continue,
but they must cease all warfare against other nations.

85
Whenever a war against a foreign nation is pushed until that
nation is about exterminated because of its refusal to accept the Great Peace
and if that nation shall by its obstinacy become exterminated, all their rights,
property, and territory shall become the property of the Five Nations.

86
Whenever a foreign nation is conquered and the survivors are
brought into the territory of the League of Five Nations and placed under the
Great Peace, the two shall be known as the Conqueror and the Conquered. A
symbolic relationship shall be devised, and be placed in some symbolic position.
The conquered nation shall have no voice in the councils of the League in the
body of chiefs.

87
When the War of the Five Nations on a foreign rebellious nation
is ended, peace shall be restored to that nation by a withdrawal of all their
weapons of war by the War Chief of the Five Nations. When all the terms of
peace shall have been agreed upon, a state of friendship shall be established.

88
When the proposition to establish the Great Peace is made to a
foreign nation, it shall be done in mutual council. The foreign nation is
to be persuaded by reason, and urged to come into the Great Peace. If the
Five Nations fail to obtain the consent of the nation at the first council, a
second council shall be held and upon a second failure, a third council shall be
held and this third council shall end the peaceful methods of persuasion.
At the third council, the War Chief of the Five Nations shall address the chief
of the foreign nation and request him three times to accept the Great Peace.
If refusal steadfastly follows, the War Chief shall let the bunch of white lake
shells drop from his outstretched hand to the ground, and shall bound quickly
forward and club the offending chief to death. War shall thereby be
declared, and the War Chief shall have his warriors to back any emergency.
War must continue until the contest is won by the Five Nations.

89
When the chiefs of the Five Nations propose to meet in
conference with a foreign nation with proposals for an acceptance of the Great
Peace, a large band of Warriors shall conceal themselves in a secure place safe
from the espionage of the foreign nation but as near at hand as possible.
Two warriors shall accompany the Union Chief who carries the proposals, and
these warriors shall be especially cunning. Should the chief be attacked,
these warriors shall hasten back to the army of warriors with the news of the
calamity which fell through the treachery of the foreign nation.

90
When the Five Nations Council declares war, any chief of the
League may enlist with the warriors by temporarily renouncing his sacred
chieftainship title which he holds through the nomination of his women
relatives. The title then reverts to them and they may bestow it upon
another temporarily until the war is over, when the chief, if living, may resume
his title and seat in the council.

91
A certain wampum belt of black beads shall be the emblem of the
authority of the Five War Chiefs to take up the weapons of war and with their
men to resist invasion. This shall be called a War in Defense of the
Territory.

92
If a nation, part of a nation, or more than one nation within
the Five Nations should in any way endeavor to destroy the Great Peace by
neglect or violating its laws and resolve to dissolve the League, such a nation
or such nations shall be deemed guilty of treason and called enemies of the
League and the Great Peace.

It shall then be the duty of the chiefs of the League who
remain faithful to resolve to warn the offending people. They shall be
warned once, and if a second warning is necessary, they shall be driven from the
territory of the League by the War Chief and his men.

93
Whenever an especially important matter or a great emergency is
presented before the League Council and the nature of the matter effects the
entire body of Five Nations, threatening their utter ruin, then the chiefs of
the League must submit the matter to the decision of their people and the
decision of the people shall affect the decision of the League Council.
This decision shall be a confirmation of the voice of the people.

94
The men of every Clan of the Five Nations shall have a Council
Fire ever burning in readiness for a Council of the Clan. When it seems
necessary for the interest of the people, for a council to be held to discuss
the welfare of the Clan, then the men may gather about the fire. This
council shall have the same rights as the Council of Women.

95
The women of every clan of the Five Nations shall have a Council
Fire ever burning in readiness for a council of the Clan. When in their
opinion it seems necessary for the interest of the people, they shall hold a
council, and their decision and recommendation shall be introduced before the
Council of Chiefs by the War Chief for its consideration.

96
All the Clan Council Fires of a Nation or of the Five Nations
may united into one general Council Fire, or delegates from all the Council
Fires may be appointed to united in a general Council for discussing the
interest of the people. The people shall have the right to make
appointments, and to delegate their power to others of their number. When
their council shall have come to a conclusion on any matter, their decision
shall be reported to the Council of the Nation or the League Council (as the
case may require) by the War Chief or the War Chiefs.

97
Before the real people united their nations, each Nation had its
own Council Fires. Before the Great Peace their councils were held.
The Five Council Fires shall continue to burn as before and they are not
quenched. The chiefs of each Nation in the future shall settle their
Nationís affairs at this Council Fire governed always by the laws and rules of
the Council of the League and the Great Peace.

98
If either a nephew or a niece see an irregularity in the
performance of the functions of the Great Peace and its laws, in the League
Council or in the conferring of chief titles in an improper way, through their
War Chief they may demand that such actions become subject to correction, and
that the matter conform to the ways prescribed by the law of the Great Peace.

99
The rites and festivals of each nation shall remain undisturbed
and shall continue as before, because they were given by the people of old times
as useful and necessary for the good of men.

100
It shall be the duty of the chiefs of each brotherhood to confer
at the approach of the time of the Midwinter Thanksgiving and to notify the
people of the approaching festival. They shall hold a council over the
matter, and arrange its details and begin the Thanksgiving five days after the
moon of Tiskonah is new. The people shall assemble at the appointed place
and the nephews shall notify the people of the time and place. From the
beginning to the end, the chiefs shall preside over the Thanksgiving and address
the people from time to time.

101
It shall be the duty of the appointed managers of the
Thanksgiving festivals to do all that is needful for carrying out the duties of
the occasions.

The recognized festivals of Thanksgiving shall be the
Midwinter Thanksgiving, the Maple or Sugar Making Thanksgiving, the Raspberry
Thanksgiving, the Strawberry Thanksgiving, the Corn Planting Thanksgiving, the
Corn Hoeing Thanksgiving, The Little Festival of Green Corn, the Great Festival
of Ripe Corn, and the Complete Thanksgiving for the Harvest. Each
nationís festivals shall be held in their Longhouses.

102
When the Thanksgiving for the Green Corn comes, the special
managers, both the men and women, shall give it careful attention and do their
duties properly.

103
When the Ripe Corn Thanksgiving is celebrated, the chiefs of the
Nation must give it the same attention as they give to the Midwinter
Thanksgiving.

104
Whenever any man proves himself by his good life and his
knowledge of good things, he shall be recognized by the chiefs as a Teacher of
Peace and Kariwiio and the People shall hear him.

105
The song used in installing the new chief of the League shall be
sung by Atotarho and it shall be:

Haii, haii Akwa wiio (It is good indeed Haii, haii Akonhewawatha That a broom,Haii, haii Skaweiesekowa A great wingHaii, haii Yonkwawi Is given meHaii, haii Iakonhewatha For a sweeping
instrument.)

106
Whenever a person properly entitled desires to learn the Song of
Peace, he is privileged to do so, but he must prepare a feast at which his
teachers may sit with him and sing. The feast is provided that no
misfortune may befall them for singing the song when no Chief is installed.

107
A certain sign shall be known to all the people of the Five
Nations which shall denote that the owner or occupant of a house is absent.
A stick or pole in a slanting or leaning position shall indicate this and be the
sign. Every person not entitled to enter the house by right of living
within upon seeing such a sign shall not enter the house by day or by night, but
shall keep as far away as his business will permit.

108
At the funeral of a chief of the League, these words are said:

"Now we become reconciled as you start away.
You were once a chief of the
League of Five Nations, and the united people trusted you.
Now we release you,
for it is true that it is no longer possible for us to
walk about together on the earth.
Now, therefore, we lay it (the body) here. Here we
lay it away. Now then we say
to you, Persevere onward to the place where the Creator
dwells in peace. Let not
the things of the earth hinder you. Let nothing that
transpired while you lived
hinder you. In hunting, you once delighted; in the
game of lacrosse, you once
took delight, and in the feast and pleasant occasions your
mind was amused, but
now do not allow thoughts of these things to give you
trouble.

"Let not your relatives hinder you and also let
not your friends and associates
trouble your mind. Regard none of these things.

"Now then, in turn, you here present who are
related to the man, and you who
were his friends and associates, behold the path that is
yours also! Soon we ourselves will be left in that place. For
this reason, hold yourselves in restraint as
you go from place to place. In your actions and in
your conversation do no idle
thing. Speak not idle talk, neither gossip. Be
careful of this, and speak not and
do not give away to evil behavour. One year is the
time that you must abstain
from unseeming levity, but if you can not do this for
ceremony, ten days is the
time to regard these things for respect."

109
At the funeral of a War Chief, say:

"Now we become reconciled as you start away.
Once you were a War Chief of
the Five Nations League, and the United People trusted as
their guard from the
enemy.

(The remainder is the same as the address at
the funeral of a chief.)

110
At the funeral of a warrior say:

"Now we become reconciled as you start away.
Once you were a devoted
provider and protector of your family, and you were ready
to take part in battles for the Five Nations. The United People
trusted..."

(The remainder is the same as
the address at the funeral of a chief.)

111
At the funeral of a young man say:

"Now we become reconciled as you start away. In
the beginning of your career
you are taken away, and the flower of your life is
withered away."

(The
remainder is the same as the address at the funeral of a
chief.)

112
At the funeral of a chief woman say:

"Now we become reconciled as you start away.
You were once a chief woman in the League of Five Nations. You once were a Mother
of the Nations. Now we
release you for it is true that it is no longer possible
for us to walk about together
on the earth. Now, therefore, we lay it (the body)
here. Here we lay it away.
Now then we say to you, ĎPersevere onward to the place
where the Creator dwells in peace. Let not the things of the earth hinder
you. Let nothing that transpired while you lived hinder you. Looking after your
family was a sacred duty, and you were faithful. You were one of the many joint heirs
of the chieftainship titles. Feastings were yours and you had pleasant
occasions...í"

(The remainder is the
same as the address at the funeral of a chief).

113
At the funeral of a woman of the people say:

"Now we become reconciled as you start away.
You were once a woman in the
flower of life and the bloom is now withered away.
You once held a sacred
position as mother of the Nation. (etc.)
Looking after your family was a sacred
duty and you were faithful. Feastings...í"

(The remainder is the same as the
funeral of a chief.)

114
At the funeral of an infant or young woman say:

"Now we become reconciled as you start away.
You were a tender bud and
gladdened our hearts for only a few days. Now the
bloom has withered
away...(etc.) Let none of these things that transpired on
earth hinder. Let nothing that happened while you lived hinder you."

(The
remainder is the same as at the funeral of a chief.)

115
When an infant dies within three days, mourning shall continue
only five days. Then shall you gather the little boys and girls at the
house of mourning and at the funeral feast, a speaker shall address the children
and bid them to be happy once more, though by death, gloom has been cast over
them. Then shall the children be again in the sunshine.

116
When a dead person is brought to the burial place, the speaker
on the opposite side of the Council Fire shall bid the bereaved family cheer
their minds once more and rekindle their hearth fires in peace, to put their
house in order and once again be in brightness for darkness has covered them.
He shall say that the black clouds shall roll away and that the bright blue sky
is visible once more. Therefore they shall be at peace in the sunshine
again.

117
Three strings of shell one span in length shall be employed in
addressing the assemblage at the burial of the dead. The speaker shall
say:

"Hearken you who are her, this body is to be covered.
Assemble in this place
again in ten days hence, for it is the decree of the
Creator that mourning shall
cease when ten days have expired. Then a feast shall
be made."

Then at the expiration of ten days, the Speaker shall say:

"Continue to listen you who are here. The ten
days of mourning have expired and your mind must now be freed of sorrow as
before the loss of your relative. The relatives have decided to make a
little compensation to those who have assisted at the funeral. It is a
mere expression of thanks. This is to the one who did the cooking while
the body was lying in the house. Let her come forward and receive this
gift and be dismissed from the task."

(In substance, this will be
repeated for everyone who assisted in any way until all have been
remembered.)